President's Office

Fall 2015 Semester

Dear CSUN staff and faculty:

Next week marks the beginning of the fall 2015 semester and a new academic year.

The start of a new academic year is a busy and exciting time for all, and I always look forward to welcoming new and returning students. The arrival of students for the fall semester means that CSUN is back in full swing and focused on its mission to help students achieve their educational and long-range goals.

This fall semester we will have a record number of new students to CSUN. I extend my appreciation to each staff and faculty member who will be hard at work helping students navigate their way. Each encounter in a classroom, department office, administrative office, or service area such as student housing, the bookstore, or food service provides us with an opportunity to ensure that our students are having an excellent experience at CSUN.

This is the fourth year that employee volunteers will serve as CSUN Navigators throughout campus during the first two days of classes. As they do each year, the Navigators welcome students, answer their questions, help them find their way to class and service locations, and offer them bottled water. The Navigators program provides a warm welcome to our new and returning students, and gives our staff volunteers the opportunity to step out of the normal scope of their jobs and interact with students in this more informal yet very helpful way. The experience also serves as a reminder that each of us plays an important role in helping CSUN students realize their educational goals. Thank you to our CSUN Navigators, and to the supervisors who support the Navigators' time away from their regular duties.

The coming weeks and months will be rewarding as we help students settle into their classes and fully engage with CSUN. On Thursday, August 27, we will have the President's Welcome Back Picnic (again staffed by staff and faculty volunteers), and we are looking forward to more formally welcoming the new freshman class on Thursday, September 10 at Freshman Convocation.

Let me wish each of you a positive and productive beginning of our fall 2015 semester, and thank you for contributing to the greatness of CSUN.
 
Sincerely,
 
Dianne F. Harrison, Ph.D.
President